![“[Building nerf blasters] became this outlet of creativity for me that hasn't been matched by anything else. The process [of] making a build complete to your desire is such a painstakingly difficult process, but I've had to learn from [the skills needed from] soldering to proper painting. There's so many different options for everything, if you think about it, it exists. The best part is [that] if it doesn't exist, you can build it yourself," Ishaan Parate said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/DSC_8149-900x604.jpg)
![“When I came into high school, I was ready to be a follower. But DECA was a game changer for me. It helped me overcome my fear of public speaking, and it's played such a major role in who I've become today. To be able to successfully lead a chapter of 150 students, an officer team and be one of the upperclassmen I once really admired is something I'm [really] proud of,” Anvitha Tummala ('21) said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Screen-Shot-2021-07-25-at-9.50.05-AM-900x594.png)
![“I think getting up in the morning and having a sense of purpose [is exciting]. I think without a certain amount of drive, life is kind of obsolete and mundane, and I think having that every single day is what makes each day unique and kind of makes life exciting,” Neymika Jain (12) said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/Screen-Shot-2017-06-03-at-4.54.16-PM.png)
![“My slogan is ‘slow feet, don’t eat, and I’m hungry.’ You need to run fast to get where you are–you aren't going to get those championships if you aren't fast,” Angel Cervantes (12) said. “I want to do well in school on my tests and in track and win championships for my team. I live by that, [and] I can do that anywhere: in the classroom or on the field.”](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/DSC5146-900x601.jpg)
![“[Volleyball has] taught me how to fall correctly, and another thing it taught is that you don’t have to be the best at something to be good at it. If you just hit the ball in a smart way, then it still scores points and you’re good at it. You could be a background player and still make a much bigger impact on the team than you would think,” Anya Gert (’20) said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/AnnaGert_JinTuan_HoHPhotoEdited-600x900.jpeg)
![“I'm not nearly there yet, but [my confidence has] definitely been getting better since I was pretty shy and timid coming into Harker my freshman year. I know that there's a lot of people that are really confident in what they do, and I really admire them. Everyone's so driven and that has really pushed me to kind of try to find my own place in high school and be more confident,” Alyssa Huang (’20) said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/AlyssaHuang_EmilyChen_HoHPhoto-900x749.jpeg)
Upper School students celebrate the arrival of the New Year
Pavitra Rengarajan
January 1st marked the 100th anniversary of the Rose Bowl. 2014 granted Michigan State the champion title after their win 24-20 against Stanford.
Cheerful applause erupted and silvery glasses clinked as Upper School students rang in the year 2014. Midnight marked the celebration of clean slates, new beginnings, and the shedding of old worries.
Some students celebrated in the presence of friends and family, joining together for one last time before settling back into their normal routines.
Arjun Ashok (11) and his family chose to spend the evening at a party hosted by friends.
“It definitely was a fun experience,” Arjun said. “The best part of New Years is the time spent with either family or friends or even both. It’s definitely always fun to celebrate the coming of a new year with the people you love.”
Others, while observing a similar tradition of celebration, chose to discontinue the tradition of New Years resolutions.
“I don’t really have any resolutions yet,” Mishi Vachev (11) said. “Resolutions are generally goals you want to achieve, and I think people already set enough goals for themselves, so when the new year comes around, there aren’t really any goals to be set.”
Enjoying watching the ball drop on television and catching a bit of the Rose Bowl on January 1st, Nikhil Parmar (10) had a relaxing New Year’s Day.
“I stayed at home with family, just because [we] didn’t want to go all out for a party,” he said.
Many slept in the morning of the new year and watched the Rose Bowl on television. In a close game, Michigan State defeated Stanford 24-20, claiming a win in the 100th year of the festival.
For Upper School students, this New Year marked the ending of break and the return to the rhythm of school and extracurriculars, a tradition that has changed little over the years.
Vasudha Rengarajan is the Editor-in-Chief of Harker Aquila. As former Features editor and Sports editor for Aquila and a reporter for The Winged Post,...